In the manufacture of furniture, such as couches and chairs, it is desirable to provide a spring-type suspension in the seat area. Generally, this is accomplished by fastening wire-formed spring elements to the wooden framework of the couch or chair. Other spring elements, such as rubber straps, have also been used.
A new seating support system has been developed by DuPont under the trade name of Dymetrol.TM.. This seating support is a fabric which will stretch and recover in a first direction but which will not stretch in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. This fabric material is fastened to one side of the framework of the couch or chair. The material is then stretched uniformly over the framework and attached to the opposite side of the framework of the couch or chair. Stretching the fabric over the framework is difficult and often results in nonuniform tension of the fabric. Uniformly attaching the fabric to the wooden framework is also difficult and depends upon the assembler's skill.
One solution is to preassemble the fabric onto elements of the framework of the couch or chair and then assemble the fabric covered framework into the remaining framework of the couch or chair. This allows the assembler to pull on a wooden rigid member rather than the flexible fabric when making the final assembly.
A need, therefore, exits for attaching a flexible member, such as fabric, to a pair of rigid members, such as wooden slats, uniformly and quickly.